Dear Sunnyside Community Members & Beyond,

My name is Andrew and I'm starting this GoFundMe on behalf of my dear friend and very talented Michelin Chef, Michelle Kogan. Michelle is a long-standing, hardworking and valued member of the Sunnyside community. If you don't know her personally, you may know her as "The Pie Lady", who sells the most incredible, delicious, pure-ingredient, handmade pies on Skillman Ave every Saturday.

If you've been to her pie stand, then you know she has been prepping to open a brick & mortar store right here in Sunnyside. Michelle is a one-woman show - her business is not backed by any investors or partners, and every dollar she makes from selling pies on the weekend goes directly back into the business. Besides a few loving, helping hands who assist with pie production on weekends, she has funded this entire journey herself, out of her own life savings, working toward the day she can open her very own pie shop.

Michelle has made incredible progress. She has secured a lease and a space here in Sunnyside and has completed a significant portion of the construction needed to start operating. She has poured her life savings and weekly revenue into getting her shop open... and she is so close to the finish line!

Unfortunately, like many small business owners, she has run into serious challenges during the construction phase. Despite spending tens of thousands of dollars on kitchen equipment, installation and construction, her contractors made critical mis-steps that have left the space not up-to-code, preventing her from producing pies out of her shop. These delays have resulted in profound mental, physical and financial stress for Michelle. And yet, she continues to produce pies out of a very small kitchen every single week, ensuring she can keep serving our community.

Michelle is now at a critical juncture. She must hire new contractors to finish the job, get her store up-to-code, and complete her branding so she can successfully market her pie shop to all of NYC and beyond. She needs our help to reach the finish line.

If you are able to, please consider making a donation. Any amount, even $1, will make a difference. Sunnyside is a strong community, and Michelle is loved, valued and cherished as a member and business owner within it. Our community needs more private, locally owned and operated businesses, and that is exactly what Michelle and her pies represent. Let's uplift and support her so she can open her doors and share her incredible pies with all of us - and all of NYC - for years to come.